Moses Lake approves skills center design

GRANT COUNTY — The Moses Lake school board approved a schematic design for a future Grant County Skills Center.

The 43,000-square-foot center is being developed to offer students in Grant County and Othello training in high-demand fields. If construction is funded, the building will sit along Yonezawa Boulevard.

Planned programs include culinary arts, dental assisting, design and construction, manufacturing/welding tech, pre-engineering and pre-nursing.

Superintendent Steve Chestnut testified in Olympia Monday for funding the $22 million skills center.

“We’re hopeful that we can get funding for the skills center this year,” Chestnut said.

He said Sen. Janéa Holmquist, R-Moses Lake, Rep. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, and Rep. Bill Hinkle, R-Cle Elum, are all supportive of the center’s construction.

Architect Brent Harding of NAC Architecture said the schematic design for the building is complete. The building is scheduled to go to bid in June, earlier than originally scheduled.

“This was to meet the governor’s request that we accelerate for funding to try to get into the stimulus package that the state’s going to put out,” Harding said.

Construction is intended to begin by June 30.

“It has a good chance of being funded either through the regular state budget, or through the federal stimulus package that’s coming through the pipe,” he said.

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction requested $130 million from the state to fund skills centers, said Chestnut. The money would cover all skills center funding requests in the state, he said.

“We’re just going to have to wait and see,” he said. “Hopefully it will happen.”

Harding presented a list of alternative extra projects, which could be funded depending on whether money is left over.

Alternatives included filling a large pit on the site for about $476,000, beginning a veterinary tech program for the same price, purchasing a painting booth and storage room for $132,000 and harvesting storm water for $30,000.

Harding did not believe the storm water harvesting would be worth the expense. He said the painting booth may be funded through a separate furniture budget.

Moses Lake High School Career and Technical Education Director Christine Armstrong spoke against starting a veterinary tech program.

“At this time, we’re thinking that might not be a good seventh program,” Armstrong said.

She noted future support from the state is dependent on strong enrollment in the programs. The veterinary tech program is a harder program to fill, she noted.

“I just want to be really careful that (the rooms) are loud, noisy and full of kids,” she said.

She noted the school’s automotive program anticipates losing space at Big Bend Community College in seven years. The program includes participants who travel from Ephrata, Othello and Soap Lake, she said.

Harding said it may be a good idea to fill the first six programs before attempting to start an additional one.